Jasmine Honey-Lemon Bombe Alaska

This recipe is such a beautiful surprise cake.

I have taken the traditional Bombe Alaska model of cake, ice cream and meringue and placed an Asian twist on it.

Green tea, chai, earl grey and rosemary are some ingredients I have successfully baked with in the past so I decided, after a friend was telling me how Jasmine was her favorite tea I would experiment.

Why Jasmine was so appealing was due to this ingredients being so beautiful and interesting in scent. Therefore, I went to my local Asian grocer and purchased a bag of Jasmine flowers for me to experiment with.

By using my super fluffy cake base recipe (the same sponge cake recipe as my Blueberry Cardamom Pudding – yet to be posted), making things super easy by buying vanilla ice-cream (why reinvest the wheel when we already have 3 elements to this dish) and honey infused meringue this dish will look very impressive indeed.

Outcome = super delicious but not too sweet.

Ingredients:

Sponge:

4 egg
145g sugar
4 tsn corn flour
145g self raising flour
1 tsn butter
80g water
2 tsn lemon zest

Ice-cream:

500g vanilla ice-cream
100g cream
20g jasmine flowers
25g honey

Meringue:

4 egg whites
100g sugar
2 tsn honey

Method:

Using oil spray cover 6 large muffin tin holes 8cm in radius.
Layer each hole with 2 sheets of cling wrap, ensuring the holes are well covered and there is overlap.
Place the flowers into a saucepan with 100g cream and on a low heat simmer until steam appears and the flowers have soaked up majority of the cream. Do not boil.
Place the mix into the food processor and blitz until almost smooth.
Add the ice-cream and blitz until the ice-cream is smooth and the flowers are evenly distributed through the ice-cream.
Place the honey in the microwave for 30 seconds to thin out then pour into the ice-cream mix until well combine.
Pour the ice-cream in the holes and tap the tin to remove air bubbles, place in the freezer.
Meanwhile preheat oven to 180c degrees and line a 20cm x 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Beat the eggs in a bowl with electric beaters until thick and creamy.
Add the sugar slowly while beating until the sugar dissolves.
Triple sift the flours into the egg mix and fold until just combine.
Add the butter to the boiling water and stir to combine.
Add the lemon zest and stir.
Once the butter mix has cooled pour into the egg mix and fold until just combine.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin and turn out on a cutting board.
Using an 8 cm cutter cut our 6 circles the same size as the muffin tins.
Place the cake circle over the top of the ice-cream and lightly push with your fingertips.
Place the tin back in the freezer for 3 hours to set.
Beat the eggwhites with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
Add the sugar slowly on a high speed followed by the honey that has been placed in the microwave for 30 seconds to thin out and beat until thick and glossy.
Turn the cakes with the ice-cream out onto plates.
Cover the ice-cream with the meringue mix, ensuring complete coverage.
Using a blow torch slightly brown the meringue.
Enjoy!